RismadarVoice Reporters, August 19, 2026
China has successfully recovered the first stage of a rocket on land for the first time, marking another major step in the country’s efforts to develop reusable launch technology.
State media reported on Wednesday that the reusable Zhuque-3 rocket was launched in north-western China before its first stage successfully returned to Earth and was recovered on land.
The achievement was described by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency as a breakthrough in the country’s reusable rocket technology.
The latest mission represents China’s second successful recovery of a rocket stage. In July, the country recovered a rocket stage on a sea platform following a launch.
Wednesday’s mission also marked the first time China successfully used deployable landing legs to support the recovery of a rocket stage on land.
Reusable rocket technology is regarded as an important development in the space industry because it allows launch hardware to be used multiple times, potentially reducing the cost of sending satellites and other payloads into orbit.
US companies SpaceX and Blue Origin have been recovering rocket components since 2015, helping establish reusable launch systems as an increasingly important part of the commercial space industry.
China has been seeking to develop similar capabilities as it expands its space programme and competes with other major spacefaring nations.
On July 10, the first stage of a Long March-10B rocket separated from its second stage after launch before returning to a recovery platform at sea.
That stage was successfully captured using a net-based recovery system.
The latest Zhuque-3 mission therefore represents a further advancement, demonstrating China’s ability to recover a rocket stage on land rather than relying on a sea-based platform.
Japan is also developing reusable rocket technology. On July 11, the country conducted the first test flight of an experimental reusable rocket, which successfully lifted off and landed safely.
Both China and Japan are pursuing reusable launch systems as they seek to lower the cost of space missions and strengthen their positions in the increasingly competitive global space industry.
